Does a tumour automatically mean cancer?

[amazingtrade]

My grandad has had bowel trouble for the last three years and has been pushed from doctor to doctor whichi diagnosed stuff like an over active thyroid and stuff. Now the problem is still there and he has been diagnosed of having tomours in that area.

The doctors tone was very serious but said it could be treated. I don't know enough about this but he is 78 and has broncitus (sp) so I can't see how they can operate on him. Providing the tumours have not spread to other regions then and he can have the operation won't this be to risky for a 78 year old?

I am very worried because I am not sure if its a lot more serious than the doctors have made out.

Has anybody else had similar experiences with relatives or friends?

 

[The Devil]

I am not going to give you half-baked online medical advice. The short answer to your question is no - some tumours are benign.

Age is not necessarily a bar to surgery.

 

[voodoo]

Sorry to hear the bad news AT .

Both my Granmothers (one diabetic) had tumours in their bowels and came through their respective operations successfully. They are both in their 70's.

Each case is obviously individual but until the doctors give you concrete information (which you should demand from them or at least make them perform a full diagnosis) it's 50/50.

Given that two of my grandparents have suffered from similar ailments, at similar ages and come through successfully, it may be a routine operation in the eyes of the doctors.

Hope it all works out.

Steve

 

[amazingtrade]

Thanks I am not too worried just yet, I expected this three years ago when my mum was convinced he had bowel cancer but you just believe the doctors know what they're talking about.

However as they have no yet done a CT? scan it could still be quite localised and quite easy to operate on. My grandads very young at heart so he is being very postive about it and carrying on as normal which is good. If they say there is not much they can do that is when I well get very worried.

 

[analoguekid]

AT the tumour could be benign, which means that although it is an abnormal growth, it doesn't contain any cancerous cells.

I suggets you get an appointment with either the consultant who is treating him or with your local GP, you can then ask questions about your grandfathers ailment and they may be able to set your mind at rest, don't think for a minute that you are wasting their time, that is what they are there for. If you want to speak to his consultant, then go to the hospital, and find out were the consultants office is, speak to his secretary, most consultants will make time for you like this with short notice.

Good luck

 

[domfjbrown]

Age is not necessarily a bar to surgery.

Exactly - so long as he's not too overweight or has heart problems, he should be OK, should a full-on op be needed. Sorry to hear about his plight - let's hope it's benign.

My Dad (who's not so far off your grandad's age - 73) is currently having real problems with his prostate. He also has heart and weight problems, so we're concerned big time. They've not said the "C" word yet (but an enlarged prostate (which was first discovered when he was peeing out blood about 3 months ago ) usually means it, so I can fully empathise here.

The main thing is to keep your grandad's spirits up. If he starts getting panicky about it, he could start deteriorating. An optimistic outlook until he has to look otherwise should do him a lot of favours. My dad's currently looking at it as "well, I don't know anything concrete yet, so until I do, I'll not worry" - although the poor guy's practically living in the toilet at the mo (but he's not bleeding when he goes now - thank god).

 

[analoguekid]

Dom

Large prostate does not automatically mean cancer, lots of older men suffer prostate problems and when enlarged causes difficulty with peeing, they get the urge more often as their bladder is full, but the prostate, is a dooughnut shaped muscle that encircles the urethra and when enlarged puts pressure on the urethra, this menas difficulty in peeing, when he firts presented to the doc with symptoms he would have had his urine checked, by checking readings of certain hormones the docs could determine the likely hood of cancer, he would have been whisked in quicjk for further checks had the levels been raised, they will put hi on drugs initially to see if they can get the prostate reduced, and as a last resort they would consider surgery, Surgery involves doing a trans urethral resection of the prostate, (TURP) this involves going into the bladder through the penis and cutting the prostate down from the inside, pretty uncomfortable, but very routine, again if you or your mum are worried speak to the urologist, or urology nurse or your GP, they will set your mind at rest.

 

[Bob McC]

My dad had prostate cancer. Thing with Prostate cancer is that some types are very slow. Docs told him that it wouldn't be what saw him off. They were right. I read recently that autopsies of men over 75 show an amazing number of prostate cancers that the patients were unaware of.

Bob

 

[domfjbrown]

Surgery involves doing a trans urethral resection of the prostate, (TURP) this involves going into the bladder through the penis and cutting the prostate down from the inside, pretty uncomfortable, but very routine...

:yikes: That sounds EFFING PAINFUL!!! Actually, he HAS had more tests but we have to wait until November for the results. He's had that test with the radioactive(?) additive to water and that seemed OK - no horrible large masses or anything, and seems to be eating OK etc.

No dogs have taken a sniffing shine to his, err, bits either: " Cancerous tissue may give off volatile compounds, which dogs can detect because of their remarkable sense of smell - The Guardian " so that looks promising.

Bob - I've heard that one as well - let's hope that's the case. Due to me being adopted, I am kind of resigned to my (adoptive) dad going relatively young in my life (I'm 29, he's 73); that said, my (adoptive) mum's staved off two bouts of rather nasty cancer (ovarian - hence why I got adopted!) and breast) and had pneumonia/collapsed lung as a result of the last treatment, so I'm pretty hopeful dad'll a) have the support he needs and b) know that it can be beaten, should he have to face it.

AT - keep us posted re your grandad - give him our best

 

[amazingtrade]

Thanks.

There is no news yet, my grandad is still carrying on as normal.

Dom I hope your father is ok, as others have said just don't let doctors fob you and your dad off.

 

[domfjbrown]

Cheers AT - I'll keep you posted. I think dad's badgering the hospital etc as much as he can.